This interview from the Radio America show The Gregg Knapp Experience focused on a TSA behavior detection program that singles out passengers for extra screening based on what the TSA describes as suspicious behavior. Since the program began in 2006, over 160,000 passengers were pulled aside for additional checks such as a pat-down search or an interivew. Less than one percent of those passengers were arrested, often on charges related to drugs or carrying false identification. The TSA didn't mention whether any of those searched or arrested were on any kind of terror watch list, or intended to commit a terrorist act. During this interview, Dr. Curtis and Greg Knapp discussed the effectiveness of this TSA program.
For more information about what passengers can do to deal with TSA security issues, please visit tsa.airsafe.org. There you'll a number of resources, including extensive information on current TSA rules, advice on packing, advice on traveling with duty free items such as alcohol and perfume, and links to airline complaint resources.
You can hear the associated podcast at:
http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show74-knapp2.mp3
Showing posts with label risk. Show all posts
Showing posts with label risk. Show all posts
21 November 2008
21 October 2008
Complacency and the Qantas A330 Accident of 7 October 2008
The accident earlier this month involving a Qantas Airbus A330 on a flight from Singapore to Perth seriously injured several passengers, but didn't result in any fatalities. While the event drew substantial news media attention in Australia and Asia, there was very little mention of it by major US media. This is very likely another example of how when it comes to airline events, it's difficult to get the attention of the US public, or of the policy makers in the US, if no one is killed.
My belief was that there would have been more media attention in the US if there had been at least one recent fatal event involving a US airline. While researching recent fatal US events, I found that the most recent passenger fatality on a US airliner was in August 2006. Looking back further, I realized that the US airline industry had quietly passed a milestone. The 26-month period between the last fatal US event and the date of this recording on October 21st, 2008 is the longest period without a passenger fatality on a US airliner since airlines in the US first began using jet aircraft in 1958.
One could argue that there's a certain amount of public complacency about airline safety when there are no major accidents. Looking through my archives, I found that this wasn't the first time I'd dealt with this subject. In late May 2004, the US airline industry was in the midst of another fatality-free period. At the time, it had been nearly 17 months since the last fatal US airline event. That month, I was interviewed as part of a National Public Radio program on airline safety that discussed some of the reasons for that absence of fatal events.
In the following segment, you'll hear my interview with Mike Pesca of NPR about some of the reasons behind the reduction of accidents. Also interviewed was David Evans of the publication Air Safety Week, who talked about how accidents drive the regulatory process.
Five months after the show aired, a regional airliner crashed in Missouri, killing both crew members and 11 of the 13 passengers, bringing to an end a 21-month period with no US passenger fatalities. Currently, the US airline industry has gone 26 months without a passenger fatality. This current fatality-free period is a sign that in spite of all the problems faced the industry, that the risk faced by passengers continues to decline.
Although this record is a positive sign for the industry, the recent Qantas event demonstrated that no airline, even one with no passenger fatalities in its history, is immune from accidents.
I'd like to remind the AirSafe.com audience that however good the system may be, there's always room for improvement. One way to improve things is to learn from those rare events such as what happened with Qantas earlier this month. AirSafe.com will continue to follow the accident investigation, and any future podcasts about the event, or news from the investigation, will be available at qantas.airsafe.org.
You can hear the associated podcast, which includes my interview with NPR, at:
http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show73-npr.mp3
My belief was that there would have been more media attention in the US if there had been at least one recent fatal event involving a US airline. While researching recent fatal US events, I found that the most recent passenger fatality on a US airliner was in August 2006. Looking back further, I realized that the US airline industry had quietly passed a milestone. The 26-month period between the last fatal US event and the date of this recording on October 21st, 2008 is the longest period without a passenger fatality on a US airliner since airlines in the US first began using jet aircraft in 1958.
One could argue that there's a certain amount of public complacency about airline safety when there are no major accidents. Looking through my archives, I found that this wasn't the first time I'd dealt with this subject. In late May 2004, the US airline industry was in the midst of another fatality-free period. At the time, it had been nearly 17 months since the last fatal US airline event. That month, I was interviewed as part of a National Public Radio program on airline safety that discussed some of the reasons for that absence of fatal events.
In the following segment, you'll hear my interview with Mike Pesca of NPR about some of the reasons behind the reduction of accidents. Also interviewed was David Evans of the publication Air Safety Week, who talked about how accidents drive the regulatory process.
Five months after the show aired, a regional airliner crashed in Missouri, killing both crew members and 11 of the 13 passengers, bringing to an end a 21-month period with no US passenger fatalities. Currently, the US airline industry has gone 26 months without a passenger fatality. This current fatality-free period is a sign that in spite of all the problems faced the industry, that the risk faced by passengers continues to decline.
Although this record is a positive sign for the industry, the recent Qantas event demonstrated that no airline, even one with no passenger fatalities in its history, is immune from accidents.
I'd like to remind the AirSafe.com audience that however good the system may be, there's always room for improvement. One way to improve things is to learn from those rare events such as what happened with Qantas earlier this month. AirSafe.com will continue to follow the accident investigation, and any future podcasts about the event, or news from the investigation, will be available at qantas.airsafe.org.
You can hear the associated podcast, which includes my interview with NPR, at:
http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show73-npr.mp3
03 August 2008
Interview with Amanda Ripley, Author of "The Unthinkable"
This episode of the podcast features an interview with Time Magazine senior writer Amanda Ripley, author of the book "The Unthinkable: Who Survives When Disaster Strikes And Why."
Amanda has traveled the world, writing about and studying a number of disasters, including the attacks of 9/11, and the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. She currently covers both risk and homeland security issues for Time Magazine.
She has written for a number of other publications, including Congressional Quarterly, New York Times Magazine, Time Out, and Washington Monthly.
You can hear the podcast at
http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show59-ripley.mp3
Related information is available at
http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show59.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Social Networking and AirSafe.com
Become a fan on AirSafe.com's Facebook page at
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Airsafecom/18541639875
Check out Dr. Todd Curtis at LinkedIn at
http://www.linkedin.com/in/airsafe
Do you Twitter? Follow AirSafe.com at
http://twitter.com/airsafe
Post a Comment to AirSafe.com Podcasts at
http://airsafe.blogspot.com
Post a Comment about an AirSafe.com video at
http://www.youtube.com/airsafe
Amanda has traveled the world, writing about and studying a number of disasters, including the attacks of 9/11, and the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. She currently covers both risk and homeland security issues for Time Magazine.
She has written for a number of other publications, including Congressional Quarterly, New York Times Magazine, Time Out, and Washington Monthly.
You can hear the podcast at
http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show59-ripley.mp3
Related information is available at
http://www.airsafe.com/podcasts/show59.htm
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Social Networking and AirSafe.com
Become a fan on AirSafe.com's Facebook page at
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Airsafecom/18541639875
Check out Dr. Todd Curtis at LinkedIn at
http://www.linkedin.com/in/airsafe
Do you Twitter? Follow AirSafe.com at
http://twitter.com/airsafe
Post a Comment to AirSafe.com Podcasts at
http://airsafe.blogspot.com
Post a Comment about an AirSafe.com video at
http://www.youtube.com/airsafe
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